I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World-Chapter 37 - 28: Severing Mortal Ties

If it were yesterday, before Jiang Yuebai witnessed Zhao Fuyi’s heaven-shaking gesture, she might have agreed to it today, as long as Moh Baichun was willing to bring grandfather along.

But now she already has a firm goal and someone she wants to pursue, so she won’t be indecisive or waver in her heart.

The person she wants to apprentice under is True Monarch Fuyi, and what she wants to learn is the Heaven-Shaking Array Dao!

Moh Baichun was surprised, looking at Jiang Yuebai, not understanding why she would refuse.

"Girl, this is a rare opportunity, you must think it over," Tao Fengnian said anxiously.

Jiang Yuebai’s gaze was firm, and she said to Moh Baichun, "Thank you, Master, for your appreciation, but I already have a path I wish to pursue, so I can only apologize to Master."

Tao Fengnian looked nervous, fearing that Jiang Yuebai might anger Moh Baichun, but Moh Baichun’s eyes showed unreserved admiration.

"So young and yet so determined in your path, truly a piece of flawless jade and excellent talent. If you had said you refused me because you can’t bear to leave your family or for any other reason, I might have forced you to come with me. Since you don’t want to accept me as your teacher, then quickly leave so you don’t make my heart ache."

Jiang Yuebai bowed and pulled Tao Fengnian away.

Moh Baichun replaced a piece of wood and continued carving, waiting for someone destined to come through the door.

Outside the bookstore.

"Girl, do you really not regret it?" Tao Fengnian felt heartache for Jiang Yuebai, thinking that if he had such a good opportunity, he would not hesitate even a bit.

Jiang Yuebai’s expression was calm, as she curiously looked into the bookstore.

"Why should I regret it? I don’t like being her disciple. My grandfather and father have been carving wood all their lives; when I was a child, I could even eat wood chips in cornbread soup—I don’t want to keep carving wood like them."

"Just because of this?" Tao Fengnian was shocked; was a child’s mind really that simple?

Jiang Yuebai chuckled, "The main reason is, I want to always stay with grandpa; apart from my family, there’s no one else in this world who treats me better."

Tao Fengnian’s nose tinged with sourness, almost tearing up, "Oh, you cheeky little girl, you have a silver tongue!"

"I’m not silver-tongued; it’s like tongue candy, sweet as candied fruit."

Tao Fengnian smiled helplessly, "This matter is over, let’s not mention it anymore. Wherever you want to go next, grandpa will accompany you—take your time exploring before we return."

A grandfather and granddaughter, strolling through Nangu.

Buying talismanic pens in the east market, scrolls in the west market, yellow paper in the south market, and seeds in the north market.

Since her family passed away, Jiang Yuebai had never felt this happy, her stomach rounded with food, her purse emptied.

Stuffed her storage bag with useful and useless items to the brim; if they had a mine, she’d move the entire workshop home.

Sunset gave way to a mountain, with magnificent twilight.

"Slow down, you’re eating; be careful not to get pricked by the candied haw slices stick."

Tao Fengnian wore a cat face mask on his head, holding a wooden box in one hand and a half-empty candied fruit bag of Jiang Yuebai’s in the other, panting after her.

A child’s energy is astonishingly exuberant.

"Grandpa, come quickly, they’re battling with talismans over here."

Jiang Yuebai lifted the similar cat face mask from her face, took a bite of candied fruit, tossed a rabbit lantern over her shoulder, hopping like a monkey behind the crowd, straining to see inside, scratching her ears anxiously.

Sparks flew, explosions sounded, and the crowd ooh’d and ah’d in amazement.

"Hey! Get down from there!"

Tao Fengnian arrived in pursuit and pulled Jiang Yuebai down from the workshop’s signboard.

It was the first time he discovered that the girl had the heart of a mischievous monkey, indulging her nature today; he truly couldn’t handle it.

"It’s not like we won’t come again, let’s find a place to stay the night and you can play another half today; we’ll return tomorrow afternoon."

Guest room in Qiyun Pavilion.

As soon as Tao Fengnian entered the guest room, he collapsed onto one of the beds, falling into a deep sleep, snoring soon after.

Having cultivated for nearly forty years, he hadn’t slept this peacefully in quite some time.

Jiang Yuebai covered him with a blanket and went to kneel on a chair, grasping a table full of snacks.

A year ago, she didn’t dare to dream of these delicious treats; three days with half a black bun was considered lucky.

Biting into a meat bun, Jiang Yuebai took out the items she had bought today.

A green vine talismanic brush for painting talismans, costing fifty low-grade spirit stones; three units of talismanic sand, and two slices of talismanic paper, costing ten low-grade spirit stones.

A book titled "Nine-Grade Talisman Manual," costing twenty low-grade spirit stones, available at the sect’s library, but she had no contribution points.

Additionally, the bestseller Nine-Grade Five Elements Talismans, five of each, bought for reference and learning.

A single Nine-Grade Talisman valued at one low-grade spirit stone, meaning she would need to paint a hundred and five Nine-Grade Talismans with these materials to break even.

After today’s shopping, her pocket of spirit stones was nearly drained, leaving only five.

Had Tao Fengnian not forbade her from taking elixirs, she might have tried the Qi Nourishing Elixir, rumored to accelerate progression and absorb more spiritual energy.

Tao Fengnian made it clear that aside from detoxifying treatment elixirs, all cultivation assistance pills, unless top-grade, will cause Elixir Poison; short-term use could advance cultivation, but prolonged use would block meridians.

Clearing Elixir Poison would afterward require considerable time, effort, and materials, hindering cultivation.

Only if necessary, avoid taking elixirs.

Besides seeds, Tao Fengnian bought nothing; Jiang Yuebai wasted Tao Fengnian’s twenty acres of private plot, planning to plant quick-maturing spirit plants before spring.

Jiang Yuebai suggested planting Spiritual Vegetables, fast-growing and in high demand at the sect’s food establishments, fetching a high price.

Tao Fengnian found Spiritual Vegetables hard to cultivate, preferring Water Calamus seeds. With water in the spiritual field, the seeds would grow wildly on their own, used as spirit beast feed.

After organizing everything, Jiang Yuebai felt satiated, drank her fill, and sprawled on the bed with the newly bought "Five Flavors Collection".

[Upon entering the workshop, long absent from humanity, feeling separated. Resting for half a month, enamored with comfort, thus departed.]

[Traveling a hundred miles west, encountered three evil cultivators, village slaughtered for artifact refining, fought overnight, complete slaughter, near-death.]

[Deeper into the wilderness, faced Demon Wolf pack, fought while retreating, trapped in a cave for three months, relentless cultivation, escaped, destroyed Wolf King.]

[Thirteen years of cultivation, Qi Cultivation Perfection, hearing that Foundation Establishment precedes resolving worldly ties. Returned to Yun Country, retracing the path of cultivation. In this life, I’ve remained guiltless before the Emperor, before the citizens, before my clan, yet indebted to one person. Questioning my heart; guilty, yet unrepentant.]

[The Great Dao is uncompassionate; alone I tread, ties severed, Foundation Establishment accomplished!]

The concise text, resonating with the intent of conquest, stirred Jiang Yuebai’s heart, making sleep elusive.

Deciding to rise, she pushed open the window, finding solace in moon gazing.

Under the bright moonlight, she saw a middle-aged woman lying on a bamboo chair drifting into sleep, face pale from lingering illness, a burly man sitting nearby, fingers intertwined, quietly accompanying her.

"Brother Hong?"

Recognizing the man, Jiang Yuebai spoke up; Hong Tao turned his head, their eyes met.

About to close the window to avoid them, Hong Tao signaled for her to come.

Jumping down from the second-floor window, Jiang Yuebai landed softly in the courtyard, and walked slowly up to Hong Tao.

"Junior Sister Jiang, could you mind Wanniang for a moment? I’ll be back shortly."

Jiang Yuebai nodded, as Hong Tao stepped into the courtyard’s rear chamber.

The courtyard chambers rented for long-term dwellers suggest Hong Tao had been here for some time.

The woman on the bamboo chair had gentle features, seeming a tender and beautiful person, yet she showed no Spiritual Light, clearly a mortal.

Before long, Hong Tao returned in a wedding robe, holding a phoenix crown.

Faced with Jiang Yuebai’s puzzled gaze, Hong Tao’s deep eyes rested on the woman.

"Wanniang and I fell in love at first sight, meant to accompany each other in the mortal world. But life is unpredictable; a corrupt official forcibly took Wanniang as a concubine, I killed him and barely escaped. Amidst near-death took destiny. I thought in my absence, Wanniang could marry well and live happily."

"Were it not for needing to resolve worldly ties upon reaching Qi Cultivation Perfection, my conscience would have ignored; little did I know she awaited me in a nunnery, refusing to cultivate the path, weighed down by two decades of worry, exhausting her essence Qi, now critically ill."

"I brought her here to recover, exerting utmost effort for treatment, yet her heart seeks death, and tonight is her end. In youthful recklessness, I failed her life; now all I can do is make her my wife."